Local News

4:15 pm

Thu June 20, 2013

Murder Probe Focuses On Patriots Player Aaron Hernandez

The New England Patriots continue to make headlines in the off-season. Just weeks after the team signed squeaky-clean quarterback Tim Tebow, tight end Aaron Hernandez has become the focus of a murder investigation.

The North Attleborough home of Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez.

Credit Greater Boston / WGBH

With throngs of reporters staked outside, Aaron Hernandez left his sprawling North Attleborough home this morning. News helicopters tailed the Patriots tight end as he pulled into Gillette Stadium before heading to his attorney’s Boston office.

Hernandez is being investigated in connection with the death of 27-year-old Odin Lloyd of Dorchester. Lloyd was found dead on Monday less than a mile from Hernandez's home.

Linda Curtain lives down the street from Hernandez’s home, which is located on Ronald Meyer Drive. She said the usually quiet neighborhood has seen a flurry of activity.

“He’s innocent until proven guilty, but it’s hard to believe some thing like that could happen in your own backyard,” she said.

It all started earlier this week when officers started asking questions.

“They were going door to door – the homicide detectives – just seeing if anyone had seen any unusual noise, sounds, anything going on Sunday night and early Monday morning,” she said.

Less than a mile from Hernandez’s home, State Police searched the industrial park where Lloyd’s body was found on Monday evening.

Doug Surette works next to the crime scene and said a teenage boy made the discovery while out for a run.

“Anyone standing here could have looked down there and actually seen the person lying there,” he said. “It just happened to be the poor kid that ran by that did it.”

It appeared no effort was made to hide the body from view, Surette said.

“It wasn’t like they were trying to hide it. It was not buried – there was no attempt to even put it in the woods,” he said.

By this afternoon, there had been no arrests made and police were providing few details about the investigation.

Watch crime reporter Michele McPhee talk on Greater Boston about what police found in Hernandez's house, the timeline of the homicide, and the allegation that the Patriots player shot a man in Florida.